Al Gore in Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton

On Principles & Values: Shared power with Hillary but had bad relationship

Hillary had never had to compete for her husband’s attention on policy matters. Gore shared her passion for policy, though his interests were different from her. But, a Clinton official recalled, they were “both alike in some ways” in public, “too rigid & they don’t like to be challenged.“

The two ”never had a good relationship“ and vied over access to Bill. Hillary was upset that Gore had too much influence over her husband. Gore saw Hillary as too much involved in presidential decision-making. The bad chemistry was obvious to White House insiders. Before long, Gore would present an additional rivalry: he had been aiming for the presidency as long as Bill. He had his own plans, and they certainly did not include waiting for Hillary to run.